Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) declares that politicians who speak negatively about Nigeria lack the right to run for president. Read his full statement here.

Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), has warned politicians who engage in “demarketing” Nigeria on social media that they are not fit to lead the country.

On Wednesday, the Abuja Social Media Summit with the focus on ‘Using Social Media to Promote National Progress’ was addressed by AGF.

Fagbemi stated that everyone must join forces to uplift Nigeria into a better nation free of conflicts, with the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu dedicated to guiding the country towards progress.

As social media never rests, we must be mindful of our words. Consider carefully before speaking and realize that once spoken, they cannot be taken back.

It is increasingly common for people to misuse their freedom of speech on social media by violating the rights of others. We should be cautious about our remarks concerning our nation as well.

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Our political differences should not cause us to harm our country’s reputation on the global platform. Only disloyal officials or citizens would resort to such tactics. Anyone who speaks negatively about their country for personal gain in a bid to resolve political conflicts must be barred from leading that same nation at any time.

Fagbemi’s spokesman, Kamarudeen Ogundele represented him at the event and stated that utilizing social media for national development entails capitalizing on its platforms to stimulate economic growth, enhance governance, encourage civic engagement and cultivate societal advancement.

According to the AGF, social media fosters transparency and accountability by facilitating citizen participation and engagement. It also serves as a platform for public service announcements, information dissemination, feedback mechanisms, and complaint resolution.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged that while social media provides numerous benefits, there are also associated obstacles and shortcomings including digital disparity and inequality, misinformation as well as disinformation issues, cybersecurity risks and privacy apprehensions.

He stated that a collaborative effort between governments, civil society, and private sector stakeholders is necessary to establish favorable conditions for national development driven by social media.